The Monster Within
by angelofmusic665
Summary: A MODERN day tale about a mysterious mansion,unexpected beauty,murder,finding true love, horror,and a secret passageway.CHAPTER 2 UP. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey folks! thanks for clicking on my story, really, it means the world to me.. and reviews would mean more than the world to me! Admonishments, ahem compliments, anything is welcome in a review..heck you can even flame me or roast me whatever its called..how bout that! anyway, I know this is really long and maybe a little boring, but I had to lay the groundwork..there are alot of twists in this story.alright, well i'll shut up now and let you read! **

**oh, and to the lawyer sitting behind me, NO I DO NOT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MUST YOU ALWAYS BE SITTING BEHIND ME REMINDING ME OF THIS GUT-WRENCHING ACTUALITY! **

I woke with a start, drenched in a cold,clammy sweat.

_Had someone just screamed my name?_ _No_, I realized with a shiver,_ that was in my dream. Or should I say nightmare._

For the past 7 months, ever since that night, I have been having dreams of my parent's mysterious deaths.

It happened on the last night of their big anniversary vacation to Hawaii, to visit some friends. My parents took a small boat out in the ocean one evening. That was the last time anyone ever saw them again.

The next morning their boat washed up on the shore, but it was empty. It was the general concensus that there was a storm out at sea, they had fallen overboard, and drownd in the great black oblivion.

A few search parties set out to look for the bodies, but to no avail. They were presumed dead.

I closed my eyes again, reliving the night that forever changed my life.

The policemen at my door, telling me the worst news that a sixteen year old girl could ever hear, in their business like manner.

I remember having the sudden urge to strangle them out of their apathetic lethargy.

As I stood there, barely containing myself, a sudden thought had struck me with so much force of realization, that I'm surprised that my heart did not thud out of my chest._ My parents were strong swimmers_. _And really, was that not a little fishy that none of my parent's possessions were left on the boat, but the boat itself showed up on the shore, unscathed?_

The police did try to do an investigation but were left with so little to go on, that they put it on hold. After the police left, I had wandered blindly through our three story house, in shock, until I finally came to their bedroom.

I stood there and stared at the picture of the three of us on their wall, at my father's dorky fanny pack that I always made fun of, and at my mother's half finished quilt, numb with shock and denial that this truly had happened.

Then I walked over to their bed and laid down on it. Pulling their blankets around me, I closed my eyes and wept bitterly.

It was at that moment that the pain arrived in waves, pressing me down beneath the onslaught, and drownding me. _Just like my parents..._

"Christine!", Mrs. Gires shrill voice sounded, startling me out of my reveries, "time to get out of bed now. Chop chop!"

I wiped away my tears and climbed reluctantly out of bed, irritated at Mrs. Gires.

"Who says 'chop chop' anyway?" I grumbled, as I plugged in my straightener.

I looked at my reflection in the full length mirror. I rather liked my long flowing brown curls, but Meg says that all of the girls at school have long straight hair and they think curls are for poodles and old ladies.

I suppose, since this is my first day at this elite school, that I might try actually fitting in. I sighed, angry at my lack of self-confidence. I am rather shy, often hiding behind the great fat storybooks that I read so ardently.

All of a sudden, my door burst open and Meg, my best friend who apparantly ignored my 'knock first' sign outside my door, came in all ready for school.

"Its your first day Christine and you...," she paused, her eyes traveling to my hair,"look dreadful!"

"Thanks, Meg", I said dryly, glaring at her.

My cold glare must have caused her to feel some sort of twisted remorse, for she quickly said "well, dreadful is a little harsh I suppose..you actually look a great deal like my great-Aunt Olga on a good hair day"

"Lovely comparison, just lovely, I've always wanted to look like your great aunt"

With that, I clamped down on the straightener with alll my might and pulled, a fierce look on my face, much to Meg's amusement. "Easy there, Christine or you won't have any hair left to straighten..on the bright side however, the guys would definitely be queuing up to see the only bald girl at Meadow Valley High"

I rolled my eyes.

She laughed at the sight of me, in all my frizzy glory, "your hair isn't straightening well, because its usually so curly! Sit down, and just let me do it"

I obliged.

And on she chattered about the latest gossip at school, each thing pettier than the last, and I soon lost interest. I mean, come on, I'm already nervous about this school.

I moved in with the Gires last week. Anita Gires had been best friends with my parents, and a second mother to me all my life, so I felt most comfortable with them. The Gires are not rich, even though we live in a rich area. Their house is by far the smallest around for miles, a fact which I know Meg is a little touchy about.

My family, on the other hand, was extremely wealthy, and we lived in a mansion. Those were rosy days all right, when my parents were still alive, living in the beautiful house and listening to my parents play their music at night.

Granted, I was a bit spoiled, but they always instilled good values in me. My parents left behind a fortune of which I am to recieve when I come of age. My whole world was shattered in one moment, in one breath. I had to move three hours away from my home to live with the Gires and go to a new school.

"Done!", Meg announced, "what do you think?"

I looked at the poker straight hair and thought that the long, drab hair made my pale skin and the circles under my eyes even more pronounced.

_I look ghastly_.

"I look good, thanks"

"So... scared yet," Meg asks with a joking grin on her face, as I drive us to school.

"Say that one more time, and you'll be the one whose scared!" I said, sounding ruder than I had intended.Meg shut her mouth, cranked up the radio and didn't say anything else.

Finally, we get there and it is certainly a rich school. The courtyard around it is meticulous and the building itself is gigantic and beautiful, but to me it looks like a monster just waiting to devour me as soon as I walk through the polished oak doors.

Meg and I finally have to go our separate ways.

"Well..good luck", she said trying to smile encouragingly at me, but I can tell she is still slightly miffed of how I snapped at her earlier.

I tried to smile but, due to the butterflies now positively feasting on my stomach, I am afraid it came out rather grim, possibly even a scowl, I am not sure.

She gave me an odd sort of look, then nodded and dispersed into the crowd.

I felt slightly ridiculous just standing smack in the middle of the crowded hallway, book laden, people abruptly pushing and shoving their ways around me, so I figured I should start the trek to homeroom.

I found it with little trouble, and managed to slink my way to the back, without anyone noticing me.

A minute later, three girls walked in, all dressed in clothes so expensive, that you could likely sell them and feed an entire third world country, complete with Louis Vitton handbags.

The one in the middle walked down the aisle to a largely overweight girl and shoved all her things onto the floor.

"Sorry hun, but this is where I want to sit, theres another seat on the other side of the room, and I figured you could surely do with the exercise", she said meanly.

The poor girl flushed a deep red, but nonetheless she stammered an apology.  
"S-sorry Carmelita, I had no idea", she fumbled around on the floor for her stuff, and quickly moved to the other seat, keeping her head down.

Carmelita and her friends all laughed and rolled their eyes and,sickeningly, all flipped their long,straight hair over their shoulders simultaneously. I narrowed my eyes. Clearly, this Carmelita character is the head honcho around here and also the trophy that all the guys are vying for. It seemed like every guy in the room had turned in his seat so that he was facing her. And of course, she flirted with all of the good looking ones.

Disgusted, I made a mental note to steer clear of her.

Classes soon bored me and I deviously took out my book that I was currently reading. As I delved deeper into the book, I soon forgot the goings on of this mean school, and I was lost in the sad story of unrequited love.

"Tell me every last detail of your day", Meg demanded eagerly in the car, on the way home.

"That Caramel girl is a royal hiney", I said bluntly.

Meg laughed, but also gave me a reproving look. "Her name is Carmelita Garrison for your information, and really, she's a nice person if you take the time to really get to know her, she just puts on a tough exterior"

"Oh, I get it..so really, she is one of those bullies who publicly humiliate people for the fun of it, but inside she is a lost soul, desperate for love?", I snorted derisively "oh come on Meg, don't be so thick, she is the biggest jerk I have ever seen!"

I heard a little irritated sniff from the passenger seat of the car, but she said nothing else in Carmelita's defense. "Anyway, Christine, tell me about the non-Carmelita portion of your day," she said rather coolly.

"I dunno," I said noncommittally, with a little shrug.

She narrowed her eyes at me, "you had your head buried in a book all day didn't you?"

"Wow you really know me well Meg, a little creepy come to think of it, but let me tell you about the book, its amazing. See-"

She cut me off. "Thats not the point Christine, you need to stop living in a fantasy world all the time and face reality. Today was the day to be social and make new friends! And paid attention to where everything is!"

If that would have been anyone else but Meg, I would be seething with fury, but its Meg, she's practically my sister. We tell each other how it is.

"Well gee, sorry_ Mrs. Gires!_ I swear, you act more like your mother every day Meg", I said trying to turn the tables on her, but it didn't work.

I just ended up sounding childish.

She threw me an exasperated look.

I grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes and laughed and hit me lightly on the shoulder.

We walked inside and had to tell Mrs. Gires all about our day.

After a while, I suppose she tired of my one word answers to her questions and let me off the hook. Gratefully, I bounded down the stairs to my room, all the way downstairs.

I like it, its underground so its always nice and cool and the walls are soundproof so I can listen to music as loud as I want. I put on some soothing,classical music, laid down, and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

Hours later I was shaken awake by Meg asking if I wanted to go for a walk around to explore the neighborhood.

I didn't really, but I decided I shouldn't be a recluse, so I agreed.

Meg and I started the walk in companioble silence, but then she started telling me about the different houses and their owners. The farther we walked, the bigger and more extravagant the houses became.

Finally, we turned onto a street, and were met with an odd mist that hung low above the street, swirling in front of us like hundreds of dancing ghosts.

I looked at the end of the street.

"Oh!", I gasped.

For my eyes beheld the most gorgeous,extraordinary mansion I have ever seen. It was also run down a bit, adding the gothic look of it. It looked exactly like something out of one of my fantasy books.

"Oh, Meg! how lonely! how beautiful!", but before I could think of any more adjectives to describe this mansion, I caught site of Meg's face.

"Hey, whats the matter? you look like you've just seen a ghost!"

"Oh, Christine, if we stay here much longer, we surely will! that mansion is haunted!"

We stared at each other for a moment, in awe of this declaration, but then sense returned to me.

I snorted, "And I thought I was the one with the wild imagination! Come on, lets go closer."  
Her eyes widened in disbelief."Are you crazy? Were leaving right now!"

"No, not until you tell me why everyone thinks its haunted!"

And there we were, engaged in a sort of verticle wrestling match, me trying to drag her closer, her trying to drag me farther away from this house of my dreams.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you, lets just leave this street before I have cardiac arrest!"

I rolled my eyes but relented,"I take back what I said about you acting like your mother..your acting like your great-Aunt Olga! ok, fine lets go"

I followed Meg to the next street and we sat down on the curb. "Alright, Olga,spill the beans..I mean, as long as you won't have a cardiac arrest", I sneered.

"You know, if you resort to that name-calling, I may just withhold this story from you", she said airily, inspecting her nails.

I sobered instantly, "Please tell me, Oh sweet best friend of mine, with the best fingernails in town might I add"

She laughed.

"ok, enough fooling around..who lives there?"

She became so serious so fast, it was almost comical.

"The Demarkhos," Meg said quietly, as if she was afraid someone was eavesdropping,"tremendously rich people, the Demarkhos, but very peculiar, especially their son Erik."

"Tell me about Erik," I demanded, for some reason wanting to know everything about him. Meg's eyes got an odd faraway look to them as she thought about what to say.

"Its so hard to find the right words to describe him. He is three years older than us, so I never had any classes with him at school, but I did see him in the hallways from time to time. I cannot say he was hott or he was sexy, for those words aren't enough. Beautiful is a better word. He was beautiful.

And he had these strange golden eyes. He didn't often look people in the eye, but when he did, wow, it was like being in a trance.

He was extremely reclusive, never went to any school functions, kept to himself alot. Not really shy exactly, because when need be, he would stand up for the kids who got bullied by the popular people.

Always had something clever and witty to say to them. Really put those jocks in their place, ya know?

He was the smartest kid in school and was also a musical genius. At lunch, instead of going to the cafeteria like normal people, he would go off into the empty music room and just..play.

Piano mostly, and if you just so happened to pass by the music room you would be able to hear some of his music wafting down the corridor. It was strange, slightly creepy, yet beautiful at the same time. Never heard anything like it in my life."

Meg had a small smile playing on her lips and her eyes were glazed over and she seemed to be staring at some point over my head which I could not see. She continued.

"Alot of girls were intrigued by him, even the popular ones. Somtimes I would see a girl corner him at his locker and start talking to him. He would politely listen, but I could tell by his expression that he was bored and uncomfortable."

Meg's own expression was so dreamy, that I had to ask.

"And, my dear Meg, did you have a crush on this suave Erik as well?"

She snapped out of her trance and looked at me seriously.

"I did."

Then she got this look on her face that was something like pity mixed with horror and a little revulsion thrown in.

I got the feeling there was more to this story.

"Something happened to Erik..didn't it?", I asked quietly.

Meg shuddered.

"Yes, yes it did. Ohh, his face," she whispered hoarsely.

"His face? you said it was beautiful"

"Yes. It WAS. The story surrounding his face is a little hazy to everyone, but I'll tell you what I know.

Mr. Demarkho was one of the wealthiest men alive. He was in league with extremely powerful people. But, with power, also comes ruthlessness. And, with wealth, also comes enemies. He was a peculiar man, as I have already mentioned, no one really knows how he came to be so rich. No one knows.

There were many people, I am sure, who wanted his money, and I am sure many people that he wronged on his way to becoming so rich and powerful.

Needless to say, he had many enemies.

He was the mayor of this city, and I know there were quite a few people who didn't agree with the way he ran things. He had no mercy for the poor people, seemed to think they were no good, dirt.

Well, one night I awoke to sirens, and you know, I didn't think much of it, thats not an out of the ordinary sound.

But then, I heard my mother gasp and start whispering in the room next to mine. So I got up, and it turns out she was on the phone with her good friend, Mrs. Evans, a maid at the Demarkho mansion.

My mother told me that Mrs. Evans had forgotten her purse at the Demarkho's so, hours later, she returned to get it, only to see the topmost right region of the mansion on fire.

She quickly called the fire department and they hurried over there. Arson was not the only crime committed that night however.

Murder.

Mr. Demarkho was found hanging from the third floor balconey with a knife in his back.

Mrs. Demarkho was the only one who emerged from these crimes unscathed, as she had just left that night for Cleveland, for a business trip. The police did endless investigations on this scandal, but not a single tidbit of evidence was ever found.

As for Erik, the part of the house that had been set on fire, happened to be where his room was located. He was trapped by the roaring flames, and his face was severely burned."

I stared at her in horror. "So..did it scar his face?", I asked stupidly.

"Christine, it didn't just leave a few scars, it distorted the entire left side of his face horribly! It was actually burned off. His mother paid for him to have tons of surgeries and the doctors managed to reattach some his mangled nose back on the left side of his face but he was still grotesquely disfigured."

"Has anyone actually seen him?" I asked.

"No one except the doctors and his mother. But Carmelita's father was one of the surgeons and apparantly the cold-hearted man told her exactly what Erik looked like. Said he looked like the devil himself. Carmelita spread the story around and soon the entire town loathed him and feared him."

"why would she do such a thing?" I whispered, tears in my eyes.

"Carmelita was especially vicious to him because one time, before the fire when he was still beautiful, she made a move on him and he totally shot her down, like embarrassing and in front of everyone. Guess he saw right through her. That is the only time she has ever experienced rejection. She never forgave him."

We were silent a moment, letting the story sink in. My liking of Erik grew even more after hearing of the rejection of Carmelita.

"But what happened to Erik and his mother? Why don't they live there anymore?"

"Well, Erik's mother loathed his face so much, that she couldn't look at him without getting sick, so she left the city and started a new life somewhere far away. His own mother! I heard that she went slightly crazy after being in that house with him for a couple of days. She didn't leave the city quietly..she made sure people knew that he was a monster and to never go near that house. Of course, we all didn't need to be told that."  
Disgust was etched in every line of my face. "What a wretched woman!"

"I suppose," Meg said in a light tone.

"Well, she is!", I shouted indignantly, irritated by the lack contempt Meg had for the woman.

"I know, Christine, I know! Jeez...you don't have to bite my head off," Meg said crossly.

"Alright alright, anyways...where is Erik now?"

"Well, he's dead isn't he?", she said as if I should know, " no one has seen Erik in over 3 years. He is dead, and his ghost haunts the old mansion"

"How do you know his ghost is there?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, odd things have happened. A boy from school was murdered there two years ago"

"What!", I practically shouted.

"His name was Mike Roberts, a real rat of a boy, his sole purpose in life was to fit in with the in crowd. So they gave him this crazy initiation dare to go inside the old Demarkho place for an hour.

So he did. And he never came out.

Mike Roberts was never seen again. See, everyone says that when Erik's face became disfigured, so did his soul.

He truly became a monster.

A murderer. And sometimes, Christine," Meg said breathing heavily,"when some kids from the college or the high school are daring enough to enter past the gates and up to the house, they say that occasionally they hear faint _music_ echoing around inside the house. Except this music is full of bitterness and rage, and when you listen to it for too long, it makes you want to do horrid things. Its evil Christine," Meg said with a tone of finality in her voice.

All I could do was stare, entranced by the story I just heard.

"It sounds like a fairy tale", I whispered softly.

"Oh, but its the opposite Christine! This is no fairy tale with handsome princes and beautiful chateaus! This is real and its filled with revulsion and horror"

"And sadness." I added, filled with pity yet an odd sense of fascination.

"Poor Erik," I murmured.

_And I thought I had a sad life. What loneliness he has had to endure is unfathomable. I realized that he must be merely 19 years old, since I am 16._

A voice calling to me and Meg brought me back to reality.

"Hey what are you two doing in this part of the neighborhood?"

We looked up and saw four girls from school standing there. I recognized the one who had spoken as one of the girls who had been with Carmelita this morning.

Meg quickly stood.

"Hey Jane, I was just showing Christine the neighborhood"

"Oh, right, your that new girl arent you."

"Yes." I said dully, completely nonplussed with the way her haughty eyes flicked over my hair and clothes, seeing if they met her approval.

If they knew how rich I am, they would probably invite me in to their snide little group. No matter, I don't like these girls at all. Meg, on the other hand, is not rich but she is pretty and she keeps quiet when they harrass the "inferiors" at school. So therefore, they are civil to her, but she is not exactly "in" with their tightly formed clique.

Meg started walking towards them. Suddenly, I knew what I wanted to do.

"Meg, go ahead and talk for a while, I'll be back. I just...I just want to be alone for a while"

She looked at me, her blue eyes wide with puzzlement. She opened her mouth argue, but then decided against it.

"Ok Christine," she said slowly, and I grinned at her, then turned to walk away.

As I walked away, I heard a bit of their conversation.

"Your friend seems really weird, Meg"

"oh no, she's alot of fun once you get to know her"

I smiled to myself. _Weird. Well, so what? There are alot of worse things to be called._

My heart thudded with excitement as I turned onto the street with all of the mist.

I walked closer to my destination, the only house on the street. I timidly pushed on the wrought-iron gate that surrounded the big estate and it swung open, as if beckoning me to come closer.

I hesitated.

_Its silly to be afraid._

I walked into the courtyard and gasped with delight. It was like stepping into a storybook. There was a stone fountain in the center, and wild flowers everywhere. Of course, the fountain was old and covered with cobwebs and weeds had also grown in but I got a glimpse of the grandeur this must have been years ago, before the accident.

I stared up at the massive,sprawling mansion and wondered exactly what kind of horrors had taken place within those stone walls.

I saw the boarded up portion of the building where the fire must have been.

I strained my ears but heard no music.

I impulsively flopped on my back and stared up at the moon. I love moonlight, it is so enticing.

The tall,overgrown shrubbery hid me as I lay in it and it felt good to be hidden from the world, at least for a little while.

I admired how the moon bathed everything in its silvery light and all of a sudden the tune from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata popped into my head.

I closed my eyes and in my mind's eye, I could see my father playing it on the piano, and my mother's smiling face as she watched him.

Impulsive yet again, I got up and,arms spread wide, began swirling and dancing to the music in my mind. Then I pretended I was ballroom dancing. I actually know how. I hummed the tune aloud and danced with my imaginary partner in the moonlight.

I smiled and pretended to curtsy to my nonexistant partner.

I decided I rather liked this "haunted" mansion. It did strange things to me.

I glanced up at it again and then cried aloud at what I saw.

Two glowing, golden eyes watching me from the uppermost window.

I closed my eyes and rubbed them and then looked again.

They were gone.

_No, it couldn't be, no one lives here anymore. My vivid imagination ran away with me, thats all._

I walked back toward the gate rather hurriedly and cast one more glance at the dark, silent mansion.

As much as I argued with myself, I could not shake the feeling that someone indeed _had_ been watching me the entire time.

PLZ REVIEW !


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO EVERYONE..I AM SO SORRY THAT IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TIME SINCE I UPDATED THIS STORY.. I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH ALOT OF CHANGES LATELY ONE OF THEM BEING COLLEGE! THATS RIGHT FOLKS I AM NOW A FRESHMAN ENGLISH MAJOR/THEATRE ARTS MINOR AT COLLEGE..WOOHOO. ANYWAY, YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR MY LAME EXCUSES..AGAIN I AM SORRY.**

**I WOULD APPRECIATE REVIEWS SOO MUCH! I DONT REALLY LIKE THIS CHAPTER TOO MUCH, SO FEEL FREE TO COMMENT NEGATIVELY ON IT, I WILL NOT TAKE OFFENSE. BUT I PROMISE MORE EXCITING AND ACTION PACKED CHAPTERS ARE IN THE MAKINGS! ANYWAY..THATS IT..THANKS EVERYONE :-D**

I could faintly hear Mrs. Giry's voice calling to me, as if she were miles away.

Slowly, I swam up from the bottom of a black sleep. I opened my eyes.

It was very dark in my room. _Can it really be morning? What day is it anyway?_

I slid out reluctantly from the warm haven that my bed provides and stumbled, disoriented, upstairs to look out the window.

A heavy rain fell from the cloudless, dark sky and everything looked gray and dreary. I smiled a little. I like rain. It makes me think of fresh beginnings and the past being washed away. I stared out the window and thought of my own fresh beginning here in this new city.

Suddenly, the events of last night came rushing back to me with such magnitude that, when I closed my eyes, I saw those mysterious golden eyes looking back at me. If only I could see the face that they belong to. I kept my eyes closed and stared into the frightening golden orbs. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone..._something _was indeed watching me last night. I remember those eyes so vividly.

A cold hand grasped my shoulder. I screamed and whirled around, nearly knocking Meg over in the process. Meg. It was only Meg, with a shocked expression on her face. My scream turned into a groan.

"Gosh, Christine! Good morning to you too!", she narrowed her eyes, "why are you so jumpy?"  
"Oh, nothing, nothing," I said airily, trying to look nonchalant, hoping she would drop it. I walked back downstairs and as the darkness of my room claimed me, I did feel scared.

Here, in the darkness, those golden eyes scared me. I felt like they were still watching me.

_"Oh, Christine"_, an unfamiliar voice whispered in my mind. _Or was it just in my mind? "Christine, Christine, Christine..._"

All I could hear was my name being whispered over and over. Then the voice sighed. The despairing sigh echoed around to every corner and crevice of my mind, until it was all I could hear. I could almost feel the breath on the back of my neck...

"Stop it!", I shouted, and ran to turn on the light. I was alone and my room was exactly how I had left it.

The normalcy of my room seemed to mock me for being so childish. I laughed aloud, not really finding this funny, but trying to clear my mind of the resonating whispers.

I put my hand to my forehead. "I fear for my sanity," I muttered, pulling on a green, figured skirt, a short sleeved white blouse, and my long black raincoat. I also straightened my hair again. I grabbed my bag and turned off the light.

I ran very fast up the stairs, as if some monster was chasing me, trying to pull me back into the darkness of my room.

3 HOURS LATER...

I was idly sitting in my biology class, my physical body obviously there, but my mind was in another place.

The Demarkho estate to be exact.

I was absent mindedly doodling on my notebook and when my mind came back into focus after a particularly loud cough from the person behind me, I realized that I had drawn a pair of eyes.

_I am going to go back to that place today, perhaps it won't seem so sinister in broad daylight. But why does the thought of Erik affect me so deeply? I feel like we are connected somehow, by something._ I thought about him. _I'll bet he really is a murderer, and he still resides at the manor, a creature of the night, wallowing in hatred and bitterness. A despairing solace with only his distorted reflection and his music to keep him company. Monstrous and alone._

I shook my head and rolled my eyes, reproaching myself for turning this real life horror story into another one of my fantasy tales. Of course Erik can't _still_ be alive at the mansion, after 3 whole years of vanishing completely from society. He shouldn't be blamed for those murders either, because no one knows for sure what happened.

But a nagging thought crept into my mind. _Maybe I am closer to the truth than I think?_

I sighed and stood up as the bell rang.

I did not know what to think.

ummmm..this is intermission..(_does dance)_ shut up, you loved it...now back to the story.

As I sat in my 6th period study hall, I tried to fit in with the conversation going on behind me. A voice inside my head, which sounded oddly like Meg's, kept telling me that I needed to break out of my shell and make new friends here.

I smiled when I heard the topic of their conversation. Tacos. Finally, something I can relate to, instead of the usual backbiting and vicious rumor spreading that goes on in this school.

I greatly enjoy food, so I turned around and smiled. Their conversation stopped.

"What? You like tacos or something?", Carmelita asked with a sneer, and her posse started snickering.

I noticed the girl sitting next to me was almost in tears.

_Am I missing something? Since when are tacos such a controversial topic?_

Feeling very uncool, I nervously stammered, "Well y-yea. I love tacos...", they stared at me, "I like mine with sour cream," I finished lamely.

They burst out laughing.  
"Hey Nikki!" Carmelita jostled the girl sitting next to me, "the new girl is in love with you! this is your lucky day, huh?"

it dawned on me that Nikki was Hispanic and then everything clicked. Taco is a mean slang word for a person of mixed ethnicity.

I just made it worse for her and I made an idiot of myself at that. I turned around quickly, their laughter ringing in my ears.

_God, I hate this school. They all call Erik a monster, well they are monsters too! It would be so great to put every one of them in their place someday_..

attention please!", the room slowly started quieting down, "we have a special new student at Meadow Valley High today , Raoul Chagney, who just moved with his family from France! His father is the new mayor of the city."

My breath caught in my chest. _Surely this has to be the same dear Raoul who fetched my scarf from the ocean so many years ago?_

As if on cue, the door opened and my questions were confirmed. Though it has been 8 years since I have seen him, I always remember that boyish face. His face has matured, sure, but I can still see a hint of the boy he once was.

My childhood sweetheart.

My mouth was hanging open at the sheer wonder of seeing him again so suddenly and unexpectedly. But then again, I was not out of place with my mouth hanging open.

Every other girl in the room mirrored my expression, though for a different reason than mine. As I studied his appearance, I realized that he had evolved from gawky yet cute little boy to incredibly handsome young man quite significantly.

He had golden, honey colored hair that fell elegantly across his forehead and in all the right places. High cheekbones and long lashes that framed startlingly blue eyes were the picture of perfection.

_If I lived in the old days, I would say he has a noble brow_..

But even now in modern days, he did have a regal look about him, as if he were nobility of some sort. I never did know much about his family. His face was absolutely perfect. Not one single flaw.

I turned my face a little so that I could see Carmelita. Even she looked impressed by his incredibly good looks.

But then her face changed to a look of fierce determination. She saw a goal in front of her and she intended to get him no matter what. Being the most popular and powerful girl in school didn't hurt her either.

I turned back to look at Raoul. He was in the middle of a conversation with the teacher.

I smiled affectionately. He used to be such a beloved friend.

I stared at him, willing him to look at me. Finally, he did glance around the room but his gaze did not even fall on me! I guess it is quite plausible that he does not recognize me, I have changed in appearance alot.

_For one, I'm not as happy as I used to be_.

Once I get up the courage to talk to him and tell him my name, the memories of our childhood will come rushing back to him, I am sure of it. Raoul nodded at something the teacher said, and then turned around and left the room without a backward glance.

I sighed.

So did every other girl in the class.

LAST PERIOD

_I need to stop thinking about the Demarkhos_.

Its so creepy, and it gives me cold chills. In spite of my becoming freezing cold at the mere thought of the Demarkho mansion, my resolution to visit the dreaded place after school still stood firm.

_I suppose my curiosity outweighs my fear_. I started to pull my jacket from my locker when I heard footsteps behind me.

Wondering who else was roaming the halls during class, I casually looked around.

And froze. It was Raoul.

Blood immediately began flooding to my cheeks, and I suddenly became incredibly interested in the floor. It occurred to me how stupid I must look, standing in an empty hallway, staring at the floor.

I nervously dragged my gaze up to look at him. He made eye contact with me, but then his face got a strange look about it. It was like a mixture of recognition and..and what was that? It almost looked like guilt!

But as soon as that thought registered, his expression snapped back to normal.

_What was that all about? Why would he look fearful or guilty to see me? So, does that mean that he does recognize me after all? Then again, the expression was so fleeting that perhaps I only imagined it._

These puzzling thoughts raced through my mind in about a second. He kept walking a few more steps, but at the last minute he turned his face to look at me again. My heart skipped a beat as the corners of his mouth turned upwards.

When he smiled, the heavens opened. A small smile perhaps, but still, the fact remains...he smiled at me!

Suddenly, I wasn't cold anymore.

Actually, I felt quite warm.

**OK EVERYONE WHO READ THIS...WELL THANKS FOR READING MY STORY..IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET SOME FEEDBACK..I KNOW THIS CHAPTER WAS A BIT BORING, BUT ITS GOING TO PICK UP, I PROMISE. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU, AND I WILL BE UPDATING SOON!**


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